Staying Overnight with Xie Shihou in the Xu Family Library and Being Bothered By Hearing Rats
Mei Yaochen



Lamp blue person already asleep
Hungry rat little out hole
Stir upset plate cup make noise
Startle din dream stop
Only worry table inkstone hit
Again fear shelf book gnaw
Silly boy effect cat call
This plan really already stupid
The lamp is blue, the men are all asleep,
Hungry rats start to emerge from a hole.
The noise of tumbling cups and plates is loud,
I’m startled by the noise: my dream is ended.
I worry they’ll knock the inkstone from the table,
I’m frightened that they’ll gnaw the books on the shelf.
My silly boy tries to miaow like a cat:
That’s a really daft idea.
View Chinese text in traditional characters.